by Mick Elliott
Tampa Tribune
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa area and LSU golfers lost a long and dear friend Tuesday when PGA of America lifetime member Henry Castillo, 85, died from a massive hemorrhage.
Castillo, one of five men’s golfers in the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame, won three straight individual Southeastern Conference titles from 1938-40 and was part of the LSU men’s golf program that dominated SEC and collegiate golf its infancy. He was a member of the 1940 LSU men’s golf national championship team.
Castillo, who was born in Spain before arriving in Tampa as an infant, was best known for his 20 years at Palma Ceia Country Club, before helping with the development of Feather Sound Country Club, where he served as its first club professional. He later taught at the Ben Sutton Golf School.
After spending nine years working under Palma Ceia’s first pro, Henry Bolesta, Castillo served as the club’s head professional from 1963 through 1974. Gil Gonsalves, who remains at Palma Ceia, followed.
“He was a good man. A good teacher and a good player,” Gonsalves said. “A very good man. I didn’t know him until I came here and he was so helpful in getting me started.'”
After attending LSU, where he is a member of the school’s athletic hall of fame, Castillo worked as a club pro, then spent several years as a tour professional, before returning to teaching and club pro duties. Known to friends as “Gray Eagle” for his silver hair, he was named Florida PGA Club Professional of the Year in 1981.
According to widow Ester, his wife of 58 years, Castillo played in five U.S. Opens and several PGA Championships, spending time on the U.S. PGA Tour and the South American Tour.
“We had many, many a match together,” longtime Palma Ceia member Harry Root Jr. said. “He was a delightful guy to be around. He had a Spanish temperament that went off every now and then, and we loved to give him a hard time about it.”
The Castillos have two sons. Drew is the golf course superintendent at the MacDill Air Force complex, while Dee works and lives in Augusta, Ga.
Services are scheduled Tuesday at noon at Blount, Curry & Roel, 605 S. MacDill Ave.
LSUsports.net would like to give special thanks to Clay Thomas, PGA Professional, for submitting this information.